Geothermal Symposium

WISE is pleased to host the Geothermal Symposium to be held on September 26 in Federation Hall. This event is the first of its kind at the University of Waterloo and features distinguished speakers from across the globe. Meet experts and make connections with like-minded innovators from academia, industry, funding and international agencies!

Join us for an exciting day of research, panel presentations, discussion and more. Let us show you why The University of Waterloo has been named the most Innovative University in Canada for more than 25 years!

Charmaine Dean is Vice-President, Research and Professor in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Waterloo. Her research interest lies in the development of methodology for disease mapping, longitudinal studies, the design of clinical trials, and spatio-temporal analyses. Much of this work has been motivated by direct applications to important practical problems in biostatistics and ecology. Her current main research applications are in survival after coronary artery bypass surgery, mapping disease and mortality rates, forest ecology, fire management, smoke exposure estimation from satellite imagery, and modeling of temporary and intermittent stream flow for flood analysis and predictions.

Dr. Robert Gracie is an Associate professor at the University of Waterloo in the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. Robert is an Affiliated Member of the Centre for Computational Mathematics in Industry and Commerce; and an Affiliated Member of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy. He began his education at the University of Ottawa, earning bachelors degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Computing Technologies before completing his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University in 2009.

Maurice Dusseault is a professor of Engineering Geology at the University of Waterloo. He carries out research in petroleum geomechanics (drilling, hydraulic fracturing, reservoir geomechanics), and is a world expert on new production methods, deep waste sequestration in sedimentary basins, and reservoir geomechanics. Professor Dusseault is a registered professional engineer in Alberta and Ontario. He frequently works with governments and industry as an advisor and instructor. Presently, Prof. Dusseault is pursuing R&D activities in deep waste disposal, so solid and liquid disposal, deep into sedimentary basins or into salt caverns, through methods of injections.

Interested in geothermal energy, Professor Jasmin Raymond is conducting research work on low to medium temperature resources, including heat pump systems. The main objective of his projects, done in collaboration with geothermal designers, operators and manufacturers, is to improve the efficiency and profitability of the systems by providing scientific and technological innovations. Field testing and numerical modeling are his main research activities.

Dr. Pooneh Maghoul is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Manitoba. She received her M.Sc. in Soil and Rock Mechanics (2007) and her Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering (2010) at Ecole des Ponts Paris Tech (Paris Institute of Technology) in France. She received postdoctoral fellowships from NSERC-Hydro-Quebec Industrial Research Chair at Laval University (2010-2012) in Canada. Before joining the University of Manitoba, Dr. Maghoul worked as a project manager in Geotechnical Engineering (2013-2014) in Montreal. She also worked as a sessional lecturer at Polytechnique of Montreal and Ecole de Technologie Superieure (Engineering school of the University of Quebec in Montreal).

Steve Grasby is currently a Research Scientist for the Geological Survey of Canada at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). His studies center around natural factors that control the geochemistry of groundwater, including potable waters, brines associated with petroleum development, and geothermal waters. In addition, he and his team also study the geochemistry of shale that forms petroleum source rocks. Currently, his research is focused on the potential of geothermal energy in Canada and groundwater resources of the Nanaimo Lowlands.

Drew Knight is the Director, Global Research and Strategic Alliances, Office of Research at the University of Waterloo. Mr. Knight acts as a senior internationalization strategist and key liaison with external funding agencies for implementing a broad range of activities supporting international research, training and development programs. He is also the principal contact to develop, coordinate and monitor international institutional research partnership agreements. He holds an MA degree in Geography from the University of Waterloo with a focus on coastal zone management.

Thomas Kohl is a professor and division leader for the Institute of Applied Geosciences as well as the Chair of Geothermal Research at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. His presentation will focus on these successes and challenges of geothermal in Europe. It will highlight the perspective of this technology under the requirements of the German renewable energy act to meet the commitment of the Paris COP21 agreement. In this context, failure of geothermal projects will be contrasted to problems arising from use of new "renewable" and old "fossil" energy supply.

Joe has received numerous research contracts from Government Departments, RCUK and the EU and has published in excess of 100 peer reviewed articles. He is currently an investigator on two Innovate UK projects concerned with Carbon Capture and Storage and Nuclear Decommissioning respectively. Joe is the academic lead for the University on the development of the UK Earth Observatory to be deployed at Thornton.

Externally Joe holds a number of roles including:

Academic Associate of the National Nuclear Laboratory;

Visiting Professor at Harbin Institute of Technology;

Board member of the Cheshire Energy Hub;

Steering Committee member of the Decarbonised Gas Alliance;

Member of the NW Regional Manufacturers Association;

Chair NW Hydrogen Cluster

Maria has a PhD degree in Mechical Engineering and her research subjects are within the field of geothermal utilization and geothermal reservoir engineering. She teaches courses in thermodynamics and energy technology at Reykjavik Univerity and supervises MSc and PhD students. Prior to her academic career she was a consulting engineer, mainly involved in geothermal power plant projects. She is also a lecturer at the United Nations University – Geothermal Programme.

Since October 2009, John McLennan has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah. He has been a Senior Research Scientist at the Energy & Geoscience Institute and a Research Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah, since January 2008. He has a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto, in 1980. He has thirty years of experience in geomechanics with petroleum service and technology companies. He worked nine years for Dowell Schlumberger in their Denver, Tulsa and Houston facilities. Later, with TerraTek in Salt Lake City, Advantek International, in Houston, and ASRC Energy Services in Anchorage, he worked on projects concerned with coalbed methane recovery, rock mechanical properties determinations, produced water and drill cuttings reinjection, as well as casing design issues related to compaction. Recent work has focused on optimized gas production from shales and unconsolidated formations, fluid-rock interactions, geothermal energy recovery, in-situ microbial generation of natural gas and high temperature rock testing.

As Business Development Manager on CoPower’s Projects team, Murat sources great investment opportunities and takes part in structuring the financing of projects that both lead to a reduction of carbon emissions and generate financial returns. Prior to joining CoPower, he was involved in a broad spectrum of international cleantech projects such as developing Portugal's first virtual power plant trial and launching the United Kingdom’s first driverless pod initiative as well as its first wireless charged electric buses startup.

As an advocate for sustainability, Murat led a nationwide energy efficiency project that was featured as an exemplary low-carbon initiative by the UK government and was acknowledged by the Economist and the BBC.

Craig Dunn, P.Geol is a Founding Partner of Borealis GeoPower Inc., and serves as its Chief Operating Officer. He continues his work in resource exploration and development at Borealis GeoPower Inc. and serves as the President of WellDunn Consulting. He is a pioneer leader in geothermal energy exploration and development initiatives in Canada and with over 9 years’ experience in geological consultations, Mr. Dunn supplies both the project management and geological expertise for the Canadian energy industry's efforts on developing high temperature geothermal energy from untapped resources. His work and research in geothermal energy include geological structural and temperature mapping, drilling rock analysis and reporting, and geothermal resource prospecting (using GIS based mapping and field techniques) in both the US and Western Canada. He was also one of key personnel involved with the resurgence of the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association, where he was 2009 Conference Chairman and was its Director since 2007 and was also its Outreach Director.

Kirsten Marcia is the co-founder, President, Director and CEO of Deep Earth Energy Production (DEEP). Ms. Marcia is a geology graduate from the University of Saskatchewan and a Professional Geoscientist, registered in the Province of Saskatchewan. She has worked in the exploration industry for 13 years for commodities including diamonds, gold and base metals, coal, uranium, and oil and gas. Her experience was focussed in Saskatchewan and Alberta for Canadian TSX-listed companies.

Prior to this position, Ms. Marcia was the Vice President of Exploration for Wescan Goldfields Inc., a Saskatchewan gold and coal exploration company; Director of Investor Relations for Vena Resources, a Peruvian exploration and mining company; and Exploration Manager for Shore Gold Inc., a Saskatchewan diamond exploration and development company.

T.M. Gunderson is the Chief Financial Officer for Epoch Energy Development Inc., an environmentally responsible energy company established to unlock heat energy in Alberta and Canada. Epoch commercializes geothermal resources in partnership with municipalities, First Nations, resource companies, utilities and food growers. Epoch produces thermal energy from repurposed well-bores and geothermal developments and recovers energy from resource production operations. They are a proudly privately owned Alberta company.

Stan is a professional engineer with BASc and MSc degrees from University of Waterloo and PhD from Queen’s University. Stan and partners founded Geosource Energy in 2004, with one old water well drill rig and big plans. Geosource now operates 6 geothermal specific rigs and arguably the largest volume geothermal drilling company in Canada. Geosource continues to push the geothermal industry with deeper heat exchangers (now 750’), angled boreholes, and higher speed and more dependable drilling. All this in an attempt to make geothermal systems possible almost anywhere. Stan has been heavily involved in the geothermal industry, continuing research work with universities, advocating for the geothermal industry within government, and working in the private sector to change how energy is done. Geothermal is going to be part of the low-carbon fossil fuel free future, and Stan is committed to help that happen.

Brian Wagg completed his undergraduate degree in Geological Engineering at the University of Waterloo in 1988. He subsequently completed a Master of Science degree in Engineering Geology in 1990 at the same university.

Brian joined C-FER in 1990, working in the Production Technology Department on various projects related to cold heavy oil production operations. In 2005 he assumed the role as Manager of the Drilling and Completions Department. His team was involved in projects related to design and qualification of completion equipment for High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) environments and evaluation of risk related to unplanned releases from wells and gas storage facilities.

In 2009 he assumed the role of Manager, New Technology Initiatives with the mandate to assist C-FER’s Pipeline and Structures Division in expanding their technical offering to industry. His new role of Director, Business Development and Planning, which he took on in 2012, adds the responsibility of identifying strategic initiatives for C-FER as a whole.

Dr. Sinclair recently joined NSERC as the Manager of the Ontario Regional Office. He has significant knowledge of government programs supporting R&D. Prior to NSERC, for 5 years, he was the CEO of a start-up, OtoSim Inc, taking it from an idea to sales of over $10M. At the same time, he taught Entrepreneurship in the Engineering School at McMaster. Prior to that, for 5 years, he held senior roles at MaRS Innovation, an NSERC-CECR, where he was involved in spinning out a number of start-up companies. Two decades of his career was spent at ORTECH/Bodycote, a contract testing and R&D organization where, for the last decade he was VP, leading labs in Montreal, Toronto, Chicago and Los Angeles. He started his career at Ecoplastics (small company R&D) and the Xerox Research Centre (large company R&D). He received a B.Sc. (1981) and Ph.D.(1986) in Chemistry from the University of Toronto.

Richard Worsfold has worked for over forty years in the research, development, and demonstration of innovative products, systems, sensors and services. In his OCE Inc role he is responsible for the development of new initiatives across the province of Ontario with special responsibilities for the North, Greater Central Ontario and the Lake Erie Shore making use of the OCE Business Development Operations group to develop proposal, projects and respond to special opportunities. Through special OCE interprovincial programs he also works with opportunities in Alberta and Quebec.

Pete’s interests focus on the role of innovative policies to advance low carbon technologies. Pete currently works as a Policy Analyst at Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Research and Development (OERD). Working with OERD Pete has contributed to programs such as the Clean Energy Innovation Program, which accelerate the research and development of cutting-edge energy technologies. Pete has also worked with NRCan’s Petroleum Resources Branch in addition to Environment and Climate Change Canada. Pete obtained an MA from Carleton University’s Sustainable Energy Program, where he focused on the impacts of wind power in Ontario’s electricity market.

Ann Lin joined Sanya Changfeng Offshore Natural Gas Distribution Co. Ltd., the wholly owned subsidiary of Changfeng Energy Inc., in 2005 and was appointed as the Corporate Secretary of Changfeng Energy Inc., in 2009. In April of 2013, Ms. Lin was appointed as the Vice President of Corporate Development of Changfeng Energy Inc. Ms. Lin works as the assistant to the CEO of Changfeng Energy Inc., and participates in the planning and implementation of the Company’s strategy. Ann holds a Master degree from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

The Geothermal Symposium will be held in Federation Hall at the University of Waterloo. We suggest that participants coming from off campus enter from Columbia Street West. For your convenience we have provided aninteractive mapfor directions to the venue and visitor parking. Should you have any questions regarding parking at anytime during your stay please feel free to ask the enforcement officers (identified by bright green shirts with Parking Services decals), staff at the parking kiosks or stop by the Parking Office located in Commissary 154. Any of the staff would be happy to assist. Visitor parking is available in Lots M, N, and Was shown above at a cost of $5.00 per day. Machines will only takemaster card or visa. They will not accept Amex, Tim Hortons Visa or Visa Debit. There are signs on the machine at both the entrance and exit to indicate same. There are help buttons on all machines which will ring into the Parking office.

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About WISE

WISE believes in clean energy that is accessible and affordable for all. Our mission is to conduct original research and develop innovative solutions and policies to help transform the energy system for long-term sustainability.